Precious Little Brother
by mimi 007
Summary: The worst decision in his life has come upon a young Uchiha Itachi, and the choice is certain to bring death. How do you hurt a boy so precious, especially when he is your own flesh and blood?


Read on if you want to hear about the relationship between the two brothers of the Uchiha. I have never written anything with either, but I always have loved the way their relationship is, or was, so when I should write with the prompt family, they were not a hard choice. If you do not read the manga, please read cautiously. I do not know how far the anime is. Also 100 confessions competition with the team Remedy Darkness.

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto. It is far too brilliant to be my creation.

Brother, you were born too late;  
>Human life is but a breath.<br>Men delve deep, where darkly wait  
>Sinister the seeds of death,<br>There's no moment to delay;  
>Sorrowing the stars are blind.<br>Little Brother, how I pray  
>You may sanctuary find.<p>

_Part of 'Little Brother' by Robert W. Service_

"_It is all up to you."_ A teenager with black hair threw himself to his side in his sleep, cringing underneath his covers. The moon was still up, sending its rays down on the floor of his room, slowly crippling closer and closer to his face. The silver orb only showed half of its size, the rest of it blackened, though you could still see the edge of the rest of the circle if you focused.

The form underneath the blankets on the bed threw himself around once again, the images in his mind bringing the cold sweat on his body and the sudden con- and extractions of various limps. _Line upon line of wounded soldiers and villagers lay on the floor in the quickly raised hospital building just outside the village wall, too few medics trying to tend the still increasing number. In the bed in front of his four-year-old body laid his mother, Mikoto, bandages wrapped around her face after the last attack on Konohagakure. The smell of blood burned his nose worse than the fire that had already destroyed their former house._

The boy's head flew to the side in an unconscious attempt of freeing himself from the memory. It happened, as it switched with another memory from only a few months later. _A group of ninjas from Iwagakure came through the forest in which he and his friends had decided to play in without permission. A scream erupted from the mouth of someone, he never knew who, bringing the attention to their group. They stopped for a mere second, but seeing the group, they moved again, towards the small children._

"_We will have to kill them, or they will tell the ninjas of their village," one said, and the one who had to be the leader nodded, looking at though he had already reached that conclusion. Other screams followed, but were cut short when the first ninja moved, slitting the throat of the only other Uchiha in the group, a girl one year older than he. All the children stared in horror, none of them able to utter the smallest sound. The next ninja moved, and another was stabbed through the heart, breaking the spell. Every one of the children turned and ran, all except for he._

_The ninjas moved again, but he would not let them. Following an instinct he did not know he had, he moved faster than he thought possible and sent his head into the stomach of the leader, shedding tears for his departed friends. Surprised to find obstacles, the leader had not stopped him, and the man fell to his knees by the sheer speed of his movement. For another half a second, none of them moved. Then a ninja made a hand seal, and he fell into a crack of the earth when the ground began moving._

_A flash of gold, and the fourth Hokage got in between the enemies and him just as they began to make the two stone walls move to crush him; taking down the enemies like a dog could kill hens. Like they had only just done to the two innocent children. Done with the destruction, the man turned around and reached for the boy, grabbing him and pulling him up. "You are Fugaku's and Mikoto's kid, right?" the blonde man asked as he hugged the form in attempt to comfort him, but before he could nod, he saw the flash of a blade from a ninja who had kept hidden. The same instincts flared up again, and he took his arm out. The poisoned blade was stopped by his hand, which it cut right through, and within seconds, the boy lost conscious just as an army of insects arrived._

The teenager continued to twist and turn as the moon slowly set. Just as the sun began to rise, the first light just getting through the same window right before the words haunted him again. _"It is all up to you!"_ As a glimpse of the third Hokage flashed across his eyes, the thirteen-year-old Itachi sat up straight and opened his gray eyes, gasping for breath. His hair was soaked by his sweating, and he felt slightly dizzy.

His blankets were a mess of sweat and knots, and his mattress seeming to have been creeping out from the frame on his bed, as if thousands of spiders had worked together to move it. Using the mess as an excuse to get moving, he used the practical movements to push the dreams – or rather memories – away. He changed the sheets of the bed, washed his face, put on clothes and was out of his room just as his mother rose to make breakfast for them. His father would be off to work soon, while Sasuke had a day off from the academy. Itachi had some secret errands with the Hokage, but was going to claim he was studying. He helped his mother making the breakfast in silence, tension between them.

He had never told or showed anyone how much the happenings from the Third Great Ninja World War had affected him, how he got nauseated at the smell of blood, how he hated every physic hit he had to put upon an enemy, or how he hated himself a little bit more every time he had to kill someone. He hated any kind of violence. When he had been younger, in the years after the war had ended, he had complained about the nightmares to his mother, but every child and most men suffered from those dreams. She had said it would pass, for it did with all the others. But it had never passed.

That was why he had told about the plans of overturning the powers of the village to the Hokage and the Elders, turning his back to his family and clan. The plan could create a new war and would certainly cause death. His little brother should not experience what he had been through, and what still was hunting his dreams. But there was no peaceful solution to find, even if the Hokage had sought for it. And that left this thirteen-year-old with a hard choice.

The tenseness in the room got worse when Fugaku entered the room. Where the relationship with his mother simply had become uncertain over the last few months, especially after Shisui's death, his father openly showed his contempt towards his former favorite son. As the breakfast with every one of the family's members began, Itachi simply stared at his plate to ignore the adults, but felt how his little brother became uncertain when he experienced yet another odd dinner with his family. The teenager lifted his gaze and caught Sasuke's eyes. He smiled, passionately and loving, which caused the younger one to lighten up.

Oh, how he loved his little brother.

How would he ever be able to kill him?

The new, darker thought made him look back at the plate, though without letting the smile falter. His brother should not notice this change. He finished his food and stood. "I am going to my room," he informed, politely waiting for his father to approve, even if it was only an act by now. He was met by a grunt, and bowed his head. "Thank you, Father," he said, his dark gray eyes closed. He then turned around, leaving his family behind.

He got ready for his 'studies', found scrolls for genjutsu and ninjutsus revealing the ancient secrets of the eyes. He knew his father had gotten his room searched a few times, but since he knew it, he could take the precautions necessary. So he had retrieved the scroll from atop his little brother's closet and moved back to his own room with the speed and the stealth of the ninja he had been trained to be. Then he got back to his room, knowing none from his family knew of his actions. The next to be done by the table would be dad, heading directly for work. Then Sasuke.

He began reading, waiting for the moment his little brother would come inside and ask to train with him, as it was tradition when they both had a day off. Then he would claim he was busy and did not have time, even if he knew he should go out and enjoy his life with his brother. The stress of being a double agent had just become too much for him to handle, he felt he could not play with his brother while going behind his and the rest of the clan's back.

"Brother?" As if on count, the eight-year-old entered the room, looking at his older brother with pleading eyes. Itachi did not know how he could say no to those black eyes, but he had done it for many months now. Maybe it had just become a habit, a ritual of his little brother's days off that he said he did not have the time, an action with no feelings behind it. He looked into those eyes, knowing disappointment would fill them soon. "You promised to train with me." Even if he had gotten a no for the many last times, hope still was in his voice.

Itachi sighed, already feeling his heart break even before the words came out of his mouth. "Sasuke." Even there, the denial was clear, and the disappointment Itachi had predicted filled the black eyes faster than tears would have, and for a moment Itachi wished it was tears. If his little brother cried, he was supposed to walk over and comfort him, give him hugs, ruffle his hair. But this disappointment he was trying to hide would only be embarrassing if he found out the older could see it, which would only make the younger feel even worse. "I am busy. I do not have the time."

Sasuke stared down at the floor with an angered expression Itachi knew so well, but now that he was the cause of it, it hurt so much more. "Don't you have some friends you can play with?" he asked, needing to create some relief for the young boy. The further attention from his beloved brother made him look up again and smile. But the words he said were not what the older wanted to hear from him.

"I do not want to. They are all so immature. You are far better."

"But I do not..." The teenager stopped the stream of words that was about to crush his little brothers mood again. So instead he lifted his hand. "Come here, little brother." The little boy walked forward, and as soon he was in range, Itachi took out the hand and pointed two fingers forward, connecting them mildly with the smaller ones forehead. "Forgive me, Sasuke…" he said with a small smile, as the tradition foretold. "Again, next time."

Clearly offended and trying to hide his amusement, Sasuke turned and left, finally leaving him alone. Itachi knew he should be off soon, for his meeting with the elders, telling them that he had finally decided to agree. His dream had made it clear that he could only choose one thing, no matter how hard it would be. And that meant he was going to take down his brother within a few days. Along with the rest, but Sasuke was the worst.

The thought was too painful. He had used so much time on ignoring his brother, only to wipe him out along with the rest of the clan, even if he was only a child and had nothing to do with the plan. Itachi continued to stare at the scroll, reading without having the heart in it. His thoughts constantly went back to his brother, and finally, he stood. He had to go to the meeting. And he had to pass the kitchen on the way.

As soon as he had set the scroll in its place he moved to the kitchen, where Sasuke was sitting, scribbling something down on a piece of parchment. I had to be schoolwork, and the poor boy looked utterly bored. The sight made Itachi smile, and before he could think, he had caught the smaller in a headlock and ruffled his hair, laughing for the first time in month when Sasuke screamed in surprise and fought and struggled to get free. He then let go, helped the smaller to redo the hair and sat down beside him, trying to act like he did not see the look of pure bliss on his brother's face.

Looking at the scroll and the questions standing they were supposed to answer; he stole it and began writing, answering everything his brother had not gotten to yet. His ability to mimic the smaller boy's writing was incredible, and the eight-year-old stared at him bemusedly. "I thought you said I was supposed to make my homework myself, or I would not learn anything," he said, doing everything he could not to sound like he was complaining. He was happy not having to do it himself.

"You are a smart kid, Sasuke," Itachi answered, letting the pen fall again and grabbing a hold on his brother's upper arm. "You will catch up before the other students even understand it. Come on, we have to go."

"But you said you were busy," Sasuke continued, making the other grin. It was far too long ago since he had been happy.

"A man sometimes must remake his choices," he answered, as though he was far older than his mere thirteen. He carefully dragged the smaller outside, making sure to do nothing that his brother did not want, but at the thought of having to spend time with his older brother, Sasuke followed freely and moved faster than Itachi had expected.

Just around the first corner, they met their mother coming home from the shops. Instantly, the teen let go of the boys arm, but neither of the other two Uchihas noticed the action. Sasuke simply stayed by his side, while their mother stopped for a moment. If he had looked at her, Itachi would have noticed that for once, the hostility and concern for him was gone. What she saw was her two boys being together again, as they were supposed to.

They went to the forest to their special place, a small clearing with Itachi's homemade training manikins and targets. Instead of beginning the training, the older sat on the ground with folded legs. The younger stared at him, at first disbelieving, then annoyed, but Itachi gave little care. "I thought we were going to train."

"I never said that," Itachi stated, motioning for his little brother to come and sit beside him. "I just decided I wanted to spend some time with you." Even if I do not know why. "Come and sit down. But if you truly want to train, then do so. I will watch you, I promise." Seemingly satisfied with that little, the younger Uchiha moved in from of a target and began to train.

The morning passed like that, with Sasuke training while Itachi commented on what should be better and what he did good. At about ten o'clock, the younger moved from the manikins and sat down, sweat falling off his face like rain. A moment later, Itachi was beside him, combing his black hair with his fingers. The smaller leaned back and lied down, using his big brother's leg as a pillow. You will surpass me someday, Itachi thought, his love for his little brother filling his chest so much that he felt like he would end up crying. You may not be a so-called 'prodigy', but you will.

"Thank you," Sasuke said, while his brother continued stroking his hair, staring down at him with brotherly feelings he had thought were lost. "I thought you had stopped liking me."

Itachi shook his head, the words bringing bad conscience. He had already postponed the meeting for too long, and now, his choice hurt even more. "I would never, Sasuke. You are my little brother. A big brother should always protect his little brother, you know." It felt like acid in his mouth, but Sasuke just looked even more pleased, and he sat up and hugged the other, looking utterly relieved. He had feared he was losing his idol.

They sat there for long, silently enjoying each other's company, until Sasuke's stomach told it was dinnertime. Itachi made him stand and nudged him towards the way leading to the clan's area of the village. "Go get lunch," he said, him standing up too. "Tell mom that I will be there in an hour." He had been postponing the meeting for three or four hours now, and he knew they would be mad. Even if he had decided, it was more important to enjoy his last time with his brother. As soon as his little brother was out of sight, more thrilled and happy than ever, he went the other direction.

Like only a ninja is able to, he walked in total silence, his feet light as feathers. He reached the office building of the Hokage, went on in without getting noticed and reached the old man's room after making sure they would be alone. "You did not attend the meeting," the third Hokage said, but unlike what the thirteen-year-old ANBU-captain had expected, the Hokage was not angered. "I hoped you had run away."

"I would never do so," the young Uchiha said, his honor slightly hurt. "Get the Council again. I have some terms I want acknowledged." The Hokage nodded, his face plain of emotions, but before he could react, a person burst through the door. In a matter of seconds, Itachi had jumped to the ceiling and used his chakra to stay there, like when he had trained chakra-control with his dad at the age of six.

"Hokage, I have urgent news," the man claimed.

"I am about to have a meeting. Is it possible to postpone it?" the old man politely said, making sure to look into the intruder's eyes kindly. If the man looked up, the upcoming secret meeting would stop being secret.

"A 'Madara' has come to the village. The ANBU knows he is here, but not where. Whoever he is, he is in the archives of rogue ninjas and is supposed to be strong." The look of surprise on the third's face told that he already knew who it was, but he used the information to his advantage.

"Get the Elders immediately," he demanded, and the ninja went to get them, coming back ten minutes later with the two Council members and Danzo. "Then leave us," the Hokage told the man.

"What is this about?" Danzo asked, none of the newcomers seeming to notice the ninja hiding under the ceiling.

"Two things," the third said, and Itachi came down from his poor, but effective, hiding place and landed behind the Elders. That immediately sent Danzo into a fighting-stance, the other two a little slower. The Hokage chose to ignore the sudden actions, even if he thought Itachi should do it more politely. "One is him. The second is Madara."

Danzo relaxed while Itachi sent him a venomous glare before turning away and looking at the others. "A shinobi is never late," the old man scolded. "Especially not to a meeting with his superiors." Itachi ignored his words, looking the others over to see their reactions. They seemed all to know who this Madara was, but he had never heard of him before. He had to be some kind of powerful enemy.

"Who is this Madara," he asked, though he was not certain to get an answer. "Can you fight him out?"

He did get an answer. "Uchiha Madara is co-founder of Konoha, but due to problems between him and Hashirama Senju, he left the village. He has become a strong enemy of us, and has been believed to be dead. Though it seems he is not. And the risk of a massacre in the village if he truly is here is big, especially if we fight him." It was the Hokage, of course, the only one of them who thought the teen needed to know.

"Does he have any friend in the Uchiha?" Itachi continued, an idea forming in his head. If only…

"No, he was shunned. It is part of the reason for his anger."

Itachi nodded, his plan settling. "About my mission, I have a small change. I accept. The clan will be gone sometime in the next three days. All but one." The decision had come about at that moment, but he realized he had taken it already when he fetched Sasuke in the kitchen this morning. "Do not dare hurting, shunning or in any other way harming my little brother, whom I will keep alive," he said, his eyes on Danzo especially. "If I find out any of you did anything to him, I will give vital information I have received from my work to every hostile nation."

He had expected their anger, and therefore he did not care. It was him who should kill his family and clan. They had no room to argue if they wanted not to look like evil leaders of the village. His eyes shifted to the Hokage, his eyes becoming pleading. "I will do everything to protect the village and avoid new war. Everything but letting my brother die. Do not tell him the truth about my disappearance, and take care of him." He then turned and went for the door, not caring for much for the adults. They had gotten from him what they wanted. "And consider your problem with this Madara done, unless you find my body dead somewhere in the woods."

Just as stealthily as before he left the building and went back home to eat lunch as he had made his mother expect. Later that day, he went out again without telling his parents, searching for the man they had called an Uchiha.

It took him two days before his search became successful. Even if it was he, who was found. "You have been searching for me for a while. What does a boy want with me?"

"You hate the Uchihas, do you not?" Itachi asked, using as few words as possible. It was now he settled his mission. It was now he began. When his next words were said, he could no longer back out. "I do too."


End file.
